Edited by Olivia Spahn-Vieira
Innovative, clean, prestigious hair care was a white space in the market Nancy Twine recognized in 2010. Founder of Briogeo, Twine created a clean product line up that combined non-toxic and safe ingredients. She was a true visionary, such that, at the time there were very few options for people who wanted luxury and clean hair care.
Twine began her hair care and wellness journey when she was a little girl growing up in Long Island. Her and her mother, who was a chemist, would create their own hair masks and body scrubs at home. She had a passion for creativity, and it was special time her and her mother would spend together.
Twine attended the business school at the University of Virginia, and graduated with a degree in finance. During her degree, she spent two summers working for Goldman Sachs, and ultimately made the decision to go there after graduation to work full time, as it was a good job that could help her pay off her student loan. After a couple years, Twine knew that working at Goldman was not a job she wanted to be working for the rest of her life. Although it proved to be a good learning experience, in 2010 when her mother passed suddenly, an idea sparked inside of her and that is when she began the process of building Briogeo.
It was a four-year period that Twine continued to work at Goldman before leaving to put her whole self into building the company. She took this time to find a lab that was willing to work with her vision of clean hair care, and create a product that could be used by a diverse group of people. Twine created a business plan and educated herself on clean beauty, during her weekends and nights after work. She had a passion for creating, and references that as what ultimately got her through the hard times when work was busy and stressful. Briogeo was a creative outlet that Twine could pour herself into.
It was not until 2014 that she finally left Goldman. Working while creating Briogeo was important for Twine because it supported her financially through the development stage. She wanted to give it her all. At the time Twine was working at Goldman, the analysts (one of the positions she held), were reporting on the natural care market. This information turned out to be useful for developing Briogeo. When Twine did leave her job, it was after she received an email from Sephora expressing their interest in selling Briogeo as their high end, clean hair care brand. Since then, Briogeo has continued to excel in the consumer market. Twine’s products are now sold in Sephora stores across the globe, as well as at Nordstrom, and other retailers. They are continuing to develop and create new products, such as ingestible supplements, to round out a life of wellness that does not end with hair care.
I recently started using the Briogeo Don’t Despair Repair! shampoo and conditioner, after searching for years for volumizing products. I finally gave up my search one day; I went to the Briogeo website, took the hair quiz, and simply bought the shampoo recommended for my hair. I was shocked by the results. My hair feels stronger, and I have more volume now than ever before. I have converted myself and some of my family to the brand, as the quality is amazing, especially for clean beauty.
References
Second Life Podcast, Episode 76